Excellent food and great service!…read more Everything was delicious. We had the beef wrap roll which were in generous size and proportion. Beef was tender. The xialongbao was excellent a and generous in proportion. Although i did not have it, My family enjoyed the cold noodles with chili oil. The chili oil complemented the al dente noodles perfectly. I enjoyed the golden beef prime noodle soup. The Beef was tender, soup was light and had the right amount of seasoning and spicynness. I wasn't impressed with the scalion pancake--it felt a little dry, a bit bland and very thin compared to those found in other restaurants. However the crispy chicken was excellent and a go-to for kids. The kid loved the drinks here such as the strawberry yakuit and the strawberry matcha iced drink. The restaurant seems always busy. The service was attentive but expect longer wait times and response when it is busy. Restaurant was clean and decorative. We absolutely recommend this place.

I've wanted to try this place for a long time and it comes highly recommended by friends and…read morefamily. I've tried coming here for early dinner but the line is also very long. Instead, we came when it just opened and over Memorial weekend, expecting most people to be out of town. They accept waitlist via Yelp. Even though there was a wait, at least it wasn't very long. We ordered beef wrap, scallion, xiao long bao, and golden prime beef noodle soup. The beef noodle soup definitely has a kick to it. It was a little too spicy for my daughter so she ate mostly the other three items. Their xiao long bao was very comparable to Din Tai Fung. Everything was very good. Normally, my daughter and I prefer the beef wrap with no cucumber, but we didn't even mind it at all as it gives a nice crunch and not too overpowering. We will definitely come back and try more items.

I ate at Jinchengli again today, and as always, I was very satisfied. The braised beef soup was…read morevery comforting, with a fresh and light broth, and the beef was tender; it was very warming and comforting. The maocai (a type of Sichuan hot pot) was also very flavorful, with just the right amount of spiciness, and the side dishes were plentiful. The liangfen (cold mung bean jelly) was smooth and refreshing, and the seasoning was very fragrant; the shredded potatoes are a must-order for me every time--refreshing and appetizing, and I never get tired of them. Overall, the taste is consistently good, and the portions are generous. This is a restaurant I'll definitely keep coming back to. Highly recommended!

Went in for lunch special which I'm not sure if its still going on to try a restaraunt made dry…read morepot. The food here is good, not too msg/salt. Order with qr code (had specials) and servers are pretty good with water, may take some time for check Beef- tender beef (like cornstarch) and had some bamboo shoots, needed more wok hei String beans- fried with good flavor, slightly crunchy so very quick fry

Absolutely unforgettable experience! After a small hiccup with one of our dishes, our server Aarwin…read moreand Justin the manager graciously took care of us for the rest of the evening. Every dish we got was delicious and the drinks were exquisite- my favorites being the pork tomahawk and the pandan old fashioned.. The atmosphere was wonderful and the staff put in a lot of effort to keep the restaurant clean and running smoothly. I plan to make this a regular stop whenever I am in OC, and would heavily consider traveling from San Diego for the service alone. Truly well done!

Food - 10/10 Service - 10/10…read moreAmbiance -10/10 Probably the best Vietnamese restaurant I have been. Love this place. Price is also reasonable unlike most places.

Okidoki is an excellent Japanese restaurant in Tustin. I think I prefer this location to their…read moreother in Costa Mesa just because it is a little bit bigger so it doesn't take as long of a wait to get a table. I got the spicy shabu shabu and it was so delicious. Their udon noodles really are the star of the show, although they also have a great assortment of other dishes on the menu.

Okidoki is the larger sister restaurant of Costa Mesa's much smaller (and therefore busier) Meiji…read moreSeimen, if you aren't in the mood for waiting. Both of their menus are very similar, and you will see some same dishes across the two. We started off with their crispy kara-age (fried chicken) which is best eaten with a squeeze of lemon and dunked into their yummy garlicky, oniony dipping sauce. Always best eaten right out of the fryer, piping hot. You just can't go wrong with their most popular app. For starters, we also got their blistered shishito peppers, which comes with bonito flakes dancing from the steam of the peppers. If you've never had shishito peppers before, they are very very mild in spiciness, but be warned you'll always have one extra spicy pepper when you least expect it! For our main, we got the spicy beef udon, which comes simmering in its metal bowl atop a fire, keeping it hot as you enjoy it slowly. The red broth has a nice kick of heat, but not so spicy that it will irritate your throat. The slices of beef are oh so tender and flavorful. The rich broth clings on perfectly to the thick udon noodles. If you're sharing, plan on getting extra udon noodles to soak up all that delicious broth! At the end, drop the cheesy rice ball into the broth to make a congee, soaking up more of that delicious broth. The staff is welcoming and friendly, checking in at the right times and even offering bibs to help with the splashes of broth if you're a messy eater!

This place offers a solid happy hour (aloha hour) menu, and it's actually worth the price. I love…read morethat it's also dog friendly. They even offered our dog treats. We got two margaritas, the Serrano ahi pike, sticky ribs, cod taco, and steak taco from the aloha hour menu. The margaritas were delicious and not too sugary. All the food items had decent portions. My favorite was the cod taco. It was saucy and well battered. The sticky ribs were on the salty side and kinda chewy. Zero complaints about the other items tho.

Service was way too slow/inexperienced for our group of 8. We constantly had to ask our server for…read morerefills, clearing plates, and then were told we hit a 2 hour dining limit. I don't recall seeing that 2 hour limit when I made the reservation on OpenTable, we were still ordering pitchers of margaritas so we had to chug them since the notice came right before the latest pitcher. The food looks great in pics, few folks in the group said they would maybe try the restaurant again if they were around. We all left hungry after ordering multiple apps with entrees and 3 rounds of drinks. We expected better service overall

Wow where do I begin. Sonder really stands out from all of the countless restaurants in OC. The…read moreinside is gorgeous; both grand and retro but with a charm. It's perfect for an intimate date or fun night out. I would describe it has a vinyl bar with great cocktails and a unique menu featuring Asian fusion tapas/sharable bites. Fun fact: Sonder is owned by siblings Diane and Lamson and is located right next to Lamson's first restaurant , Kaizen Shabu! This place sometimes gets booked for private events so I HIGHLY recommend making a reservation as to not wait and guarantee it isn't closed the day you want to come. There is also usually events or a live DJ later in the evenings so check their instagram to be up at date @sonderdtsa. The food here is absolutely delicious and flavorful. It tastes both familiar but also new by putting a unique twist on dishes and flavors you already know. Some standout dishes are the little gem salad, dill milk bread, and charred beets. My only complaint is that the Sichuan fries were not as crispy and I would have liked. They are also quite greasy and heavy. But I understand why it is soggy due to being tossed in the Sichuan oil after frying to achieve the numbing flavor. We also tried the black sesame walnut for dessert and it was to die for; such a toasty flavor that paired perfectly with the creamy ice cream. While there are a few staple menu items, the kitchen seems to often be coming out with different dishes so you're sure to not be tired coming here time and time again.

This was my first visit to sonder and they made a great first impression! Since it was my friends…read morebirthday, they brought over birthday shots for both of them. Afterwards, the owner stopped by to say hi and since it was our first visit, he gave us shots for the whole table. Very kind of him. Food was great - we ordered a couple of things to share including the 6100 blue corn sourdough, chicken oysters, pork belly, spring onion pancake, and pork, please and prawn fried rice. My personal favorite was the fried rice, but everything else was tasty too! We also got dessert which was the pandan butterscotch pudding - yummy! Service was wonderful. They were attentive and kind and quick. They brought out some birthday ice cream for the two birthday girls in the party. Ambiance was great. It could be intimate and romantic for couples but also great for celebrations or large groups. I enjoyed sonder very much and will definitely visit again particularly due to their excellent service!

I was surprised to find that I really like this place as I have been disappointed lately trying to…read morefind new Chinese places that were tasty. This place has great deals and happens to be next to one of my fav Japanese restaurants too! We started with egg drop soup and it was thick and hearty, added a little soy and spice to it and it was great, the schezwan wontons were amazing as well and had an interesting spice chili sauce to them which was great (I used the leftover chili sauce to add to my other food as well). The beef and broccoli had a lot of flavor but was my least fav of everything we ordered. Not bad but typical dish. The fried rice was cooked fine and I liked the veggies they included, it had nice taste and complimented the food as well. The chow mein was delicious and had great flavor and fresh ingredients too. Service was quick and excellent. The restaurant is pretty small so any party over 4 will need to combine tables which is what we did but it worked out. This may just have became one of my new fave Chinese places!

I visited this restaurant for the first time and was really impressed! The lunch specials ($13.99)…read moreare incredibly affordable, especially considering the current economy, and the portions are huge. Each meal comes with rice, a main dish, soup, and even two dumplings--such a great deal! There's also convenient parking right in front, which makes it super easy to stop by. I went a little after the lunch rush, so it was nice and quiet--perfect timing. Highly recommend!

Pho was amazing, the spring rolls were delicious with the dipping sauce! The restaurant was packed,…read morebut service was still on point! My server was so considerate and asked if we needed extra noodles because we only ordered one bowl of pho. Will def come here again!

I have wanted to dine here for a long time. I used to work on weekends for a food delivery service…read moreand always had a ton of orders from here so I knew by the amount of food going out, the people waiting to get in and the absolutely amazing smells coming from the kitchen that it was amazing. So I finally had the time to take my son and his girlfriend and we were not disappointed. The place is small and quaint but that gives it a great home feel. We used the the Yelp app to check in (they do not take reservations) but always let you know u checked in and all of your parry is present. The Pho is to die for. Unlimited noodles so you can fill up your bowl and take the rest home. They have nice packing containers and it looked like everyone did the same thing. The service and prices were excellent. You can't go wrong.

I love this place a lot for the ambiance and the service. It has bright, clean, energy. I wish I…read morecould remember our server's name, because she was super attentive at the right times. She updated us on when food was coming, was not confused about any orders, even if they were off the beaten path, and she boxed up the food, and ran our card when we had to leave, in such an efficient manner. Even though I could see she was busy with other, larger tables. And she reminded me since my items were raw, I should refrigerate them asap. That was so sweet, she didn't have to care what happened after we left lol and I know people want to hear about food in a review, but great service makes such a difference! The thing about the ambiance, everyone was there celebrating, and happy, it made it such a happy dinner. There were birthdays, and friends sharing plates, family style. It was just heart warming. Now food and drinks: I ordered a lychee martini, not on the menu, and then another martini, both were perfectly balanced. We had the infamous bread and honey appetizer, which was phenomenal! The meatballs. Which, my only qualm was, I wish they brought a cheese grater, but that's me, I love too much cheese lol I had the carpaccio, which was amazingly balanced. I loved the quality of the meat, the sauce, and arugula. I also had the salmon crudo, which I wasn't the biggest fan of. I liked the sauce, but it was a little fishy and cut thick, so chewy, and personally, I'm not a big fan of pickles. I would have liked pickled cucumbers, more. My friend had the katsu, which was a little spicy. So pay attention when the menu has a jalepeno next to it! lol All in all, it was a great experience! My only warning is that menu items change, so don't go in set on something specific. Because I really wanted the lamb. but again, I left very happy!

I've been to Ini numerous times and my friend and I recently stopped by to try their summer menu…read more The ambiance is modern, stylish, and always a great place for a date night or dinner with friends. We ordered the calamari, crab roe spaghetti, short rib gnocchi, and a yuzu rita. The calamari was crispy and packed with flavor. The marinara sauce wasn't anything special but our server recommended their house calabrian chili sauce and it was so good. The short rib gnocchi was probably my favorite dish of the night. The short rib was incredibly tender and the sauce was rich without feeling too heavy. The crab roe spaghetti was also a hit. The sauce was creamy, packed with crab flavor, and they were pretty generous with the crab meat. My only complaint was finding a piece of crab shell in the pasta which was a little unpleasant. The yuzu rita was refreshing and helped cut through the richness of the heavier dishes perfectly. Shoutout to Anthony for being so sweet and helpful throughout our meal!! I've always loved Ini for its creative menu and consistency. Can't wait to come back and see what they come up with next!

Hot off the press: Belacan Grill is closing for six months…read moreand moving to Orange. If you love this place as much as I do, let's rally around the people who work there and let them know they will be there when they reopen. Tustin is remodeling the plaza where this historic restaurant now is located. This beautiful location is moving to a new location seven miles away. The food here is amazing. There are so many unique dishes you can not find anywhere else. For example, last night I had lychee with ice. Fresh, ripe lychees, mixed with juice and ice. Simple, fresh, and amazing. I miss the place already. Go before it is gone.

This review is for a delivery order & the food taste, presentation, portion and quality is a…read moredisaster. This is probably the lowest tier of Malaysian restaurant I've ever had. They can't even spare a container for the Murtabak, it came wrapped in foil LOL. Like not even inside a container, it was just swished around the bag wrapped in foil. On top of it, it was soggy as F. Typically, restaurants will poke holes in the container to let it "breathe" in order to keep roti crisp even if you line it with foil and if they don't know about this, idk why they're even a restaurant. The lack of knowledge on this makes it questionable. Moving onto the Roti with curry, curry was meh. Usually you get hit with an aroma of inviting spices but this one just taste like what I find in frozen aisles or prepackaged cube curry. Nothing stands out. What a let down.. on top of that, roti seems like it was frozen, not fresh and soggy. It tasted like a scallion pancake without flavor, non of that puff pastry crusty, buttery and flakey texture you'd get from real authentic places. Food quality is definitely lacking here. In addition, the portion is so small, so laughable. (Refer to pic) The chicken satay came wrapped in a white paper bag which should have been foil so that it doesn't create moisture and then dry out the chicken. Idk what's with their packaging but again, you can't even spare a container? Instead you just opt to use a ton of plastic to wrap everything. It took such a long time to unwrap everything because they wrap every single sauce container, plastic container, paper container in Saran Wrap. A bit unenvironmental. The peanut sauce that came with the satay wasn't at all delicious nor authentic. Usually I'd want a refill of that sauce, but I end up just skipping it in the end because it wasn't even all that great. Lastly the laksa was decent but nothing to write home about. I've also never really had a laksa without prawns before, this version came with weird types of tofu (one that had a purple filling which had no taste) and fried tofu wedges (which is fine). There were two fish balls. Honestly this laksa tastes just decent, definitely not a signature item in any realm. I've had better laksa in Irvine from a place not specializing in laksa. I guess as long as you don't expect it to be like Ipoh Kopitiam quality then it's OK.